MA Advancing Counselling Practice

This module will help you learn about the diverse approaches that can be applied to research in counselling including the role of researcher reflexivity and ethics. You'll draw upon the techniques and approaches covered in the module to develop a research proposal to select an appropriate methodology that can be applied to a specific need for research that you’ve identified.

In this module, you'll undertake a critical review of your current core model to identify areas in which you can strengthen and deepen your knowledge and expertise to be more effective in practice. You'll develop skills and perspectives to inform the enhancement of your practice by drawing upon contemporary literature that reflects the current evidence base and theory relevant to your core model. You'll also evolve a conceptualisation of your core model with consideration of potential issues and implications for its use in practice.

This module will allow you to explore the emotional relationship between mental and physical health and the implications for counselling practice. You'll examine psycho-dynamically informed concepts of bodily transference and countertransference, as well as their potential to influence the space between client and counsellor. Considering the use of self in relation to the physical presence of the counsellor, you'll also explore areas such as psychosomatic expression and the carrying of trauma within the body.

In this module, you'll take a holistic approach to mental health, focusing on the client’s own interpretation of their mental health and the alignment with their diagnosis. You'll explore how different counselling modes can best support those experiencing mental health difficulties, while engaging in debates around boundaries and definitions of mental health which are pertinent in the context of contemporary challenges at a personal and global level. You'll also examine the role of counsellors in multidisciplinary teamworking and become familiar with the fundamentals of assessment.

Inform your approach to clinical work by covering a range of theories and perspectives that offer insight, learning how life stages and events may influence the client and help explain their presenting issue. You'll gain an understanding of a trauma-informed approach to counselling practice and a deeper appreciation of the potential impact and significance that life events and patterns in attachments can have.

This module will allow you to explore the concept of professionalisation, specialisation, and expertise in counselling, including how different schools and orientations may view these concepts. You'll consider various ways of being a counselling practitioner through a collaborative learning process with your peers, formulating your own view on these concepts to share with your group.

In this module, you'll critically reflect on the evolving nature of counselling and its relationship to other care-orientated professions. You'll examine the perceptions and misconceptions of counselling that may be held by non-counselling colleagues and explore the roles of specific professionals such as psychiatrists and social workers, and why there’s a need for a plethora of professionals. You'll then consider the limitations of counselling and when it may not be the best approach for a client.

This module will give you the chance to discuss the development of psychological problems within individual personality theories, while gaining an introduction to approaches which place difficulties within the wider social context. You'll explore ideas from systemic theory, narrative therapy, and psychoanalytic theory, as well as sociological and political perspectives to examine how taking a view beyond the individual may offer previously unconsidered ways of supporting clients with their difficulties.

In this module, you'll prepare a project action plan that addresses feedback on your original proposal by detailing changes you'd like to make in response. Using feedback from your supervisor, you'll put your project into action and produce a final report for assessment, then disseminate your findings to professionals in the field to help shape future practice.

In this module, you'll consider a specific aspect of your casework experience where you’re developing specialist knowledge, relating to a clinical placement, client group, or a client presenting difficulty. You'll then showcase your understanding of your work as a counselling practitioner through the integration of counselling theory, current research evidence, and an understanding of professional guidelines, competencies, and professional ethics.

This module will allow you to examine the competencies required to work effectively with children and young people in counselling practice. Drawing on current evidence bases, research, and professional guidelines, you'll evaluate your training and personal and professional development to establish the extent to which you meet current best practice guidelines and develop an action plan to address any gaps.